A musical mission
brain for more sustained energy and happiness. “Plus, music is stored in a part of the brain that’s relatively unharmed by neurodegeneration. That’s why he can remember music from long ago,” he added.
Music really is medicine, Carol thought, awestruck. And she knew what she had to do: I need to f ind a way to bring seniors who feel lost and lonely together to make music and release those happy chemicals!
Inspired, Carol called her friend
Lisa, who taught at the nearby Windward School in Los Angeles. “I’m starting a band with seniors who have Parkinson’s, dementia and Alzheimer’s,” she said. “Do you think we could have a jam session once a week at your school’s studio?”
Lisa loved the idea, and it didn’t take long for her to ring back with an answer: “The administration says come on in!”
Thirty people showed up to listen as Ir win and three strangers with neurological conditions found the music and each other. They had a blast and entertained the crowd for hours: one guy on the piano, another on the drums, Ir win playing sax and the fourth jammed on the harmonica.
These lost souls just became music blood brothers, Carol thought in awe, her heart soaring. We’re onto something very special.
That joyous evening was the beginning of Carol’s nonprofit, Music Mends Minds (Musicmendsminds.org), and its band, The 5th Dementia. The “core four” soon grew to over two dozen members, and their caregivers and doctors began reporting improvements just like Carol had witnessed in Irwin. One band member, Carol Hicks, says: “My neurologist says singing is probably the best thing I can do to keep my voice from deteriorating. I’ve been a person with Parkinson’s now for 16 years, and sometimes it gets me down. But I know when I sing with friends, we all come out smiling and happy.”
In the past decade, the nonprofit has grown tremendously. Music Mends Minds now hosts 11 music groups in Los Angeles and more than 30 others across the U.S. During the pandemic, Carol and her team even started a global Zoom session for seniors to keep playing and connecting, which is still going strong. Most recently, Los Angeles county approached Carol about opening groups in 16 senior centers.
While Ir win sadly passed away t wo years ago, Carol f inds great comfort in keeping his legacy alive for others. “He would be thrilled to know his love of music is helping so many other families stay connected,” says Carol. “Music helps people f ind hope and joy, even in their darkest hour of suffering!”
“With music, people find hope and joy, even in their darkest hour.”